A power divider is a device that divides the power from a single engine so that it may be used to drive a plurality of other devices. A power divider is also known as a power take-off.
Typically a power divider includes an internal combustion engine that drives devices such as compressors and pumps. In such cases, the power divider generally includes gears that allow the engine's drive shaft to be connected to the input shafts of the devices. However, the necessary gear trains are complicated, require maintenance and are expressive.
The invented power divider provides a simple, expensive yet efficient alternative to the power dividers that use gears. It is particularly useful in an apparatus that drives at least two devices, such as a foam discharging apparatus used to fight fires.